Flue-cleaner



No Model.)-

P. ANNABLE. I

FLUE CLEANER- Patented Nia l 6, i

minimum? g ll"! NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM F. ANNABLE, OF SALEM,MASSACHUSETTS.

FLU E-CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,091, dated March 6,1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. ANNABLE, of Salem, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Flue Cleaners, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved device forcleaning the fiues of vertical boilers, and to make such device moreportable and much easier to operate than those hitherto known.

A flue-cleaner has hitherto been used consisting of a curved tubeprovided with supporting-legs and a flexible rod or metallic ribbonintroduced through such tube, and having at its upper end aflue-cleaning brush or scraper, such rod or ribbon bearing with frictionupon the inner walls of the curved'tube when reciprocated through it inworking the brush.

By my invention the direction of movement of the reciprocating ribbon ischanged from horizontal to vertical, not by a curved tube with itsnecessary friction and liability to clog by soot scraped down, but bymeans of wheels against which its opposite sides bear, said wheelshaving bearings in a bracket at one end of the straight tube. I alsomake the handle and operating-rod detachable from the ribbon, so as toshorten the device for transportation or storage. I have further deviseda simple and efflcient means of affixing the fiuecleaning brush to theend of the ribbon.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the device complete, showingthe brush protruding and the horizontal tube partly in section. Fig. 2is atop view,the brush cut away to show the bracket and wheels moreperfectly. Fig. 3 represents the removable rod and handle. Fig. 4 is asectional detail.

A is a straight tube, through which reciprocates the flat metallicriblrp n B, carrying at its free end the flue scraper or brush O,of anypreferred style. D is a bracket fixed upon the end of said tube A, fromwhich it extends obliquely about as shown, having at its upper or outerend a tapering ribbed rest, E, formed of three radial flanges, the tipsof which are adapted to enter the lower end of each of the verticaltubes of the boiler, and thus to hold the device steady while the tubeis being cleaned. In ordinary practice the tube will rest within thedoor-frame of the boiler and be supported thereon while in use.

F and G are wheels having their bearings in the bracket D and arrangedto deflect the ribbon B upwardly on a curve, without friction, as itpasses between the faces of said wheels. When, in place of the ribbon, asmall rod is used to reciprocate the flue-brush O, the faces of thesewheels will be grooved; but I much prefer a double steel ribbon formedof two flat contiguous strands as combining the desired longitudinalstrength and lateral flexibility. I therefore use the plane-faced wheelsshown, and of such size as is most convenient. These wheels ease themovement of the reciprocating brush and render the operation lesslaborious than has heretofore been the case. They also obviate cloggingof the tube, which would be liable to occurwith the extremity of thetube upturned amid the falling soot.

H is a handle at the extremity of a rigid rod, I, running into thestraight tube A, and connected with the inner end of the ribbon B, so asto be detachable for convenience in handling. By preference the rod I isscrewthreaded at its end, and enters a like socket in a plug, J, fixedto the end of the ribbon within the tube A. The total length of thedevice is thus reduced and the implement made more portable and compact.

Fig. 4 illustrates my means of connecting the brush or scraper to theribbon. The shank K of the brush is internally threaded to receive ascrew-plug, L, which is slotted to admit the ends of the ribbonedgewise. The slot in the plug terminates in a perforation, M, withinwhich the extreme ends of the ribbon are upset or made to diverge enoughto prevent its withdrawal longitudinally. A similar device may unite thereciprocating rod I to the other endof the ribbon.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of straight tube A, bracketD, and deflecting-wheels F G with the reciprocating brush 0 and rod orribbon B, substantially as set forth.

2. The tube A, bracket D, and wheels F G,

LII.

in combination with the brush 0, ribbon B, and removable reoiprocatinghandle and rod H I, substantially as set forth.

3. The brush 0, having threaded shank K and the slotted and perforatedplug L therein, in combination with the ribbon 13, having its ends insaid slot and perforation, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speoification,in thepresence of two sub- IO scribing witnesses, on this 8th day ofSeptemher, A. D. 1887.

WILLIAM F. ANNABLE. Witnesses;

ELIHU G. Looms, A. H. SPENCER.

